Jackie Gamboa
The Big Electron Podcast
Columbia, MO USA
"[In my research] I am always trying things that don’t work. You learn to fail, embrace it, and then try again the next day."
Career Roadmap
Jackie's work combines: Science, Education, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Don't let professors/peers/other students deviate you from your dream job. Go into undergrad research, summer internships, volunteer, but also one summer do something completely out of the "norm," it will challenge you and make you think differently.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Chemistry, General
The University of Texas at El Paso
Doctorate
Chemistry, General
University of Missouri-Columbia
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Was born and raised in Mexico.
2.
She is the first person in her family to go to college and feels that this has positively impacted younger members of her family and inspired them to pursue a college education.
3.
Prior to starting graduate school, she was chosen to be a roadtripper for Roadtrip Nation Season 10 in 2012—says this experience changed her outlook and provided a support structure for success.
4.
Inspired by her experience with Roadtrip Nation, she started a science podcast called <i>The Big Electron</i>, which has led to her getting more involved in leadership and advocacy roles in science.
5.
She served as the South Central Regional Chair at the University of Missouri for the National Association for Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS).
6.
In the middle of her doctoral studies, she had unexpected health problems, including three surgeries, which almost forced her to sideline her research—a supportive advisor encouraged her to persist.
7.
Received her Ph.D. in chemistry in 2017—her research centered around genetics, specifically in the creation of DNA crosslinking agents to study DNA damage in aging and diabetic models.
8.
She now works as a postdoctoral fellow at both MIT and Harvard University where she continues her research into DNA damage.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Teachers:
You should go to grad school and become a professor.
How I responded:
I refused to believe that there was only one path to follow after getting my Ph.D. Kept looking at other options and tried to find scientists who didn't go into academia. Found out there are A LOT more other ways to do and contribute to science. So now the noise is blocked!
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. My parents have great expectations for me. It is hard sometimes to live up to them in a different culture. Having support from friends in similar situations and friends in the area helps.
I was the first in my family to graduate from a university in the U.S. with my bachelors and the only person in my family to receive a doctorate. Talk to your family and help them understand how important your education is and that it'll be worth it.